Cercomacra melanaria
The Mato Grosso Antbird (Cercomacra melanaria) is a striking member of the antbird family (Thamnophilidae), known for its pronounced sexual dimorphism and skulking habits. Males are almost entirely glossy black, often with a faint white wing-bar, and possess piercing red eyes, reaching about 14-15 cm (5.5-6 inches) in length and weighing 13-16g. Females, by contrast, sport an olive-brown back, a rich rufous-chestnut crown, and buffy to yellowish-ochre underparts, with more prominent white win...
This species primarily inhabits the dense undergrowth and shrubby thickets found at the edges of deciduous and gallery forests, as well as degraded forest patches and open cerrado vegetation. It typically occurs in lowland areas, generally below 500 meters in elevation, often near water sources.
Its diet consists almost exclusively of insects and other small arthropods, which it expertly gleans from the foliage and branches within dense undergrowth.
The Mato Grosso Antbird is a notoriously shy and skulking species, typically observed moving deliberately through the dense vegetation of its preferred habitat. It is active during the day, foraging primarily in pairs or small family groups, rarely joining mixed-species flocks. Foraging involves ...
The Mato Grosso Antbird is a resident species found across a significant portion of the southern Amazon Basin, extending into the Cerrado biome of central South America. Its primary breeding range includes extensive areas of Brazil, notably in the states of Mato Grosso, Rondônia, Goiás, Tocantins...
Least Concern
- The Mato Grosso Antbird is one of the few antbird species that prefers dry, scrubby habitats like the cerrado over humid rainforests. - Males are almost entirely glossy black with striking red eyes, making them one of the darkest birds in their genus. - Females display a beautiful rufous-chestn...